Skills and attitudes learned in 4-H shooting programs prepare youngsters for life.
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| Jacob Kessler, of Lawson, Mo., was one of more than 850 youths who took part in the Missouri 4-H Shooting Program competition at Cedar Creek Rod and Gun Club Sept. 16. He learned some important lessons at the event.(Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
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| Conservation agents and other Conservation Department workers removed 48 illegal noodling boxes from Truman and Montrose lakes in west-central Missouri Sept. 9. The structures, which ranged from enormous rubber tires to bathtubs, are used to attract big catfish. Once inside the boxes, the fish are easy prey for illegal hand-fishers.(Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Northwestern and southeastern Missouri will have the most beautiful fall foliage.
JEFFERSON CITY-Regional differences in rainfall will cause significant variations in the beauty of this year's fall foliage display, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Forestry Field Programs Supervisor Justine Gartner said drought plagued much of Missouri throughout the summer and continued into fall in central and southwestern Missouri. She said that is likely to cause a relatively drab autumn in those areas.
"Central and southwest Missouri can expect below average color," said Gartner, "but the northwestern part of the state received reasonable amounts of moisture this summer, so fall color there should be wonderful, with vivid reds and oranges. Color in the Kansas City area also should be noteworthy."
Some trees show spectacular fall color even in areas hit hard by drought. Those growing along creek and river bottoms are less affected by dry weather, so driving through valleys is one way to find fall color in drought-stricken areas.
Gartner said fall color almost always peaks around Oct. 15 in Missouri. Trees in the northern and southern parts of the state may change colors a week earlier or later.
Warm, sunny days and cool nights favor the development of brilliant foliage. Nighttime lows in the 50s and 60s cause leaves to stop producing green pigment. Sugars stored in leaves undergo chemical changes at the same time, creating shades of orange, red and purple.
Northwest Missouri
Sumac, poison ivy and Virginia creeper are turning red now, and dogwood and ash trees are beginning to turn purple. The yellows are starting to show on honey locust, elm, walnut, redbud and hackberry. Highways 45 and 224 along the Missouri River are excellent places to see fall colors. Hikers can visit Big Buffalo Creek CA in Benton County, Maple Woods Natural Area (NA) in Clay County, Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area (CA) in Jackson County; White Alloe Creek NA in Platte County; Bluffwoods CA in Buchanan County and Knob Knoster State Park in Johnson County.
Poosey CA in Livingston County will host a fall color driving tour from noon until 4 p.m. Oct. 15. The 20th annual event showcases conservation practices with a striking backdrop of colorful foliage.
Four-wheel drive vehicles with high ground clearance are recommended for the Poosey Fall Driving Tour. Driving the entire route takes about an hour, not counting stops. For more information, call Resource Forester Terry Truttmann at (660) 646-6122.
Southeast Missouri
As of Sept. 22, elms, sycamores, maples and a few other bottomland species were turning yellow. Sugar maples, hickories and gum trees are beginning to turn light orange and red. Sumacs are very red..
Central Missouri
Virginia creeper and poison ivy are turning red in the middle of the state. Smooth sumac is a common roadside shrub that is turning red now. Small trees currently changing color include sassafras (red) and dogwood (purple or faint red.) Large trees currently changing color include white ash (purple), sugar maple (red) and hackberry and elm (yellow). Most black walnuts and cottonwoods have dropped or are in the process of dropping their leaves
Good routes for fall color in this region include I-70 from Montgomery County to Saline County, Highway 54 from New Bloomfield to Camdenton, Highway 63 from Ashland to Rolla, Highway 50 from Rosebud to Centertown, Highway 87 north of Boonville, Highway 179 south of Wooldridge, Highway C west of Jefferson City, Highway 94 east of Jefferson City, Highway 19 south of New Florence and almost any road in Camden, Miller, Maries, Osage and Gasconade counties.
St. Louis
Drought damage is evident in brown leaves on the southern and western exposures of hillsides in the southern part of this region. Sumac, sassafras, dogwood and sugar maples are showing a little red and orange, but they are several weeks away from complete change. The peak of fall color for this region is likely to occur around Oct. 21, with great color as late as the weekend of Oct. 28.
Southwest Missouri
Drought continues to be the biggest factor in tree health, and this will affect fall color in southwest Missouri. Some stressed trees already are showing fall colors. Sassafras and soft maples in some yards are beginning to show color.
Ozarks
The eastern part of this region has received more rainfall than the western portion and will have better fall color as a result. In drier areas, some leaves already are changing color. Reds and purples are showing in sumac, poison ivy, dogwood, sassafras and black gum. Some residential maples are starting to show dull orange color. Yellows are showing up in other trees and shrubs. Most of these early color changes are not as brilliant as in wet years.
Highways 19 and 106 in Shannon County should provide some of the better fall color viewing toward the middle of October.
Northeast Missouri
Fall colors are just starting to appear in north-central Missouri. The eastern side of this region is a little behind the western portion, but it will catch up as cooler weather arrives.
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| Beginning deer hunters can learn from wildlife biologists, outdoor-skills specialists and conservation agents at the Missouri Department of Conservation's Deer Days hunting workshop Oct. 6 and 7 in Kirksville. To learn more or to register, contact the Conservation Department's northeast regional office, (660) 785-2420. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Fog is creeping up the valleys, and there is a nip in the morning air. Why not give yourself an excuse to visit your favorite trail on a conservation area?
JEFFERSON CITY-When the searing heat and oppressive humidity of summer finally abate, outdoors men and women flock to the woods to enjoy fall pursuits. For many Missourians, that means visiting a conservation area. This interval between the torpor of summer and the rigors of winter is a great time to hike, bike or ride a horse through woods, glades, wetlands and prairies. It also is a great time to help maintain trails through such areas.
With more than 700 miles of trail on 136 areas, the Conservation Department has its hands full maintaining them all. The agency's Adopt-A-Trail Program gives nature lovers a way of helping maintain their favorite trails and an excuse to visit them several times a year.
"Summer can be tough on trails," said Teresa Kight, a recreation specialist with the Missouri Department of Conservation. "This summer's drought took a toll on plants, and that can leave soil along trails vulnerable to erosion. It only takes one heavy rain to start the process. Fall is an excellent time to repair water bars and check erosion problems before they get really bad."
Kight said participants in the Adopt-A-Trail Program include families, Boy and Girl Scout troops, hiking clubs and other organizations with an interest in the outdoors or a strong connection to a particular area. "This is a way to get involved in conservation in a way that has real, tangible results," she said. "It gives people a sense of pride and ownership."
Volunteers monitor, maintain and enhance trails and trailhead facilities. Common work projects include clearing loose rocks, sticks and branches that accumulate on trail surfaces, cutting back limbs and brush, cleaning water bars and drainage ditches, clearing debris from bridges, stairs and viewing decks and picking up trash.
"Adopt-A-Trail volunteers' work makes a huge difference in the quality of outdoor experience for everyone who visits conservation areas," said Kight. "Most of our trails are available for adoption. Anyone who wants to take one on can call me at (573) 522-4115, ext. 3636, or e-mail me at Teresa. Kight@mdc.mo.gov."
-Jim Low-
Bird hunters can use unwanted electronics to create tomorrow's conservationists.
JEFFERSON CITY-Do you have a useless old cell phone lying around your house? How about a broken laptop computer? Do you throw away toner cartridges from your computer printer when they are exhausted? Pheasants Forever (PF) has a way of turning your high-tech trash into valuable conservation assets.
PF and its offshoot group, Quail Forever (QF), have joined forces with Access Computer Products Inc. (ACPI) of Loveland, Colo., to turn trash into conservation treasures. Through its Cartridges for Kids program, the company offers cooperating organizations cash payments for sending in recyclable technology items.
Items of interest to ACPI include cell phones, personal digital assistants, MP3 players, I-pods, laptop computers and computer printer cartridges (except Epson). These items can be worth as little as 10 cents or as much as $80.
Although the value per item is not huge, the number of such items lying around homes and offices or going to landfills in the trash each day is. In fact, since it started the Cartridges for Kids program in 1999, ACPI has paid out more than $8 million to schools and other community-based cooperators. That is why PF has taken an interest in the program.
PF has prepaid mailers large enough to hold two or three cell phones or several small printer cartridges. These or larger containers for shipping laptop computers or large printer cartridges are available on request from pheasants@cartridgesforkids.com. PF and QF get cash for items ACPI receives through the conservation groups' efforts.
PF and QF use proceeds from the program to support their Ringnecks and Whistlers youth programs. These support local chapters' efforts to organize workshops that teach youngsters about outdoor activities from orienteering to hunting. Many also provide opportunities for young participants to put their knowledge into practice. In this way, PF and QF hope to "connect youth to nature" and mentor the next generation of conservationists.
For more information about Cartridges for Kids, visit www.cartridgesforkids.com/, or call (800) 420-0235. For more information about QF and PF, visit www.pheasantsforever.org/, or call (877) 773-2070.
-Jim Low-
Items from bulldozers to office furniture will go on the block.
SALEM, Mo.-Bulldozers, cars, trucks, sport-utility vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, farm equipment, boats, motors, trailers and a host of miscellaneous surplus property will go on the block at the Missouri Department of Conservation's annual auction Oct. 21.
This year's offerings include three small bulldozers, two lowboy trailers, johnboats, outboard motors, several 15-foot rotary mowers and more than 80 vehicles of various descriptions. The auction also will include a variety of office furniture and equipment.
The auction site is the Conservation Department Maintenance Center at the junction of Highways 32 and 72 in Salem. A complete list of sale items will be available at the registration desk the day of the sale. Auction items will be on display from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Oct. 20 and starting at 8 a.m. Oct. 21. The auction begins at 10 a.m.
All property must be paid for on the day of the sale and before removal. Acceptable methods of payment include cash, MasterCard or Visa or personal checks with proper identification. For lists of sale items, call (573) 522- 4115, ext. 3279 or 3283.
-Jim Low-
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| The Missouri Department of Conservation is offering a beginner waterfowl hunting seminar and guided hunt designed for women. For more information about the events Oct. 8 and Dec. 2, contact Mic Plunkett, (573) 495-2737, Mic.Plunkett@mdc.mo.gov. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
River enthusiasts will join forces on Oct. 7 to keep Lewis and Clark's fabled waterway a place worth exploring.
SUGAR CREEK, Mo.-On Oct. 7, Kansas City area residents will have a chance to experience the majesty of the Missouri River firsthand, while making their state's namesake stream a cleaner, more attractive place to visit.
Missouri River Relief's next trash cleanup operation is set for 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Oct. 7, with headquarters at La Benite Park in Sugar Creek, Mo.
Individuals of all ages and abilities and groups large and small are welcome. Missouri River Relief and its partners provide work gloves, trash bags, boats, T-shirts, snacks and lunch. You can sign up to participate at www.riverrelief.org, or by calling (816) 812-5166.
La Benite Park is just south of the Missouri River bridge on Highway 291. The weekend event begins Oct. 6 with an educational Missouri River Celebration for schoolchildren. For more information, call (816) 812-5166.
Missouri River Relief measures trash removed during its cleanups by the ton. Items picked up along sand bars, islands and river banks range from aluminum cans to major appliances. Past cleanup participants have found more exotic items, such as a piano, messages in bottles and arrowheads.
-Jim Low-
The nation's leading expert will teach participants how to make clean kills with the most popular kind of nontoxic shot.
BOIS D' ARC, Mo.-Hunters who want to take more game and avoid crippling birds with steel shot can register for a Cooperative North American Shotgunning Education Program (CONSEP) seminar Oct. 7 at Bois D' Arc Conservation Area in Greene County.
Ballistics expert Tom Roster will conduct the seminar starting at 6 p.m. at the Andy Dalton Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center, 4897 N. Farm Road 61, Ash Grove. The Missouri Department of Conservation is sponsoring the event to help hunters use steel shot more effectively.
Steel shot is the least expensive nontoxic alternative to lead shot, which was banned for waterfowl hunting in the 1980s. Lead shot was found to poison birds that swallowed the pellets. Eagles, which prey on weakened waterfowl, were secondary victims of lead shot poisoning.
Other alternatives to lead shot are available. Some actually are denser and perform better than lead. However, these alternatives are significantly more expensive than steel shot. The difference in price leads a large majority of hunters to choose steel shot when nontoxic shot is required. Roster teaches shooters that steel shot produces tighter patterns and penetrates better than lead shot at distances up to 40 yards.
CONSEP seminars are designed to help hunters make the best use of steel shot. Roster is a private consultant who conducted ground-breaking studies of the effectiveness of steel shot in hunting. The free seminar will focus on knowledge that helps hunters improve their shotgun skills and understanding of the capabilities of steel shot.
This is the first in a series of CONSEP seminars to be offered by the Conservation Department. Participation in the Oct. 7 seminar will be limited to 100. To register, call (417) 742-4361.
-Jim Low-
Lewis and Clark could have taken a lesson from this program.
JEFFERSON CITY-History is rife with examples of the need for and importance of hunter education. The final leg of the Corps of Discovery excursion could have been a lot more comfortable for Meriwether Lewis had Missouri' s hunter education training been available to his crew.
In August 1806, while hunting elk, Pierre Cruzatte apparently mistook Lewis for game. Lewis wrote in his journal, "was in the act of firing on the elk. . . when the ball struck my left thye about an inch below my hip joint, missing the bone it passed through the left thye and cut the thickness of the bullet across the hinder part of the right thye."
Lewis was lucky the wound was not fatal. In more recent times, hunters decided that luck was not enough. In Missouri alone, the past 20 years have seen a huge reduction in hunting accidents thanks to hunter education.
Since 1988, when "hunter ed" training became mandatory for those born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, Missouri has experienced a 70 percent decrease in hunting accidents. Prior to that, the Show-Me State averaged approximately 100 hunting accidents per year. Fatal hunting accidents also have declined significantly during the same period, from an average of 30 to approximately five per year.
Missouri's hunter education program works because the Missouri Department of Conservation makes hunting safety a priority. Hunter ed training got its unofficial start in the state in the early 1950s, when a few industrious conservation agents added hunting safety lessons to their law enforcement duties. Requests to make the training available statewide prompted the Conservation Department to establish a formal hunter education program in 1957.
The program is about to reach two major milestones - 50 years and a million graduates.
Throughout his 30-year career in conservation, Bob Staton, an Outreach and Education Division unit chief, has helped develop and manage the hunter education program. He says he's excited about reaching the milestones because they represent the Conservation Department's commitment to keep hunting safe.
"Only about five states have one million or more hunter ed graduates," said Staton. "This is a major accomplishment for Missouri because of the positive impact hunter ed has had."
Staton said the program's goal is for every hunter to return home safely from their hunting trips. Hunter education provides a foundation in hunting safety and ethics that makes that possible.
Hunter education classes teach hunters to focus on more than just being successful in the pursuit of game. Students learn that while afield they must always think about what they can do to prevent themselves from causing or being the victim of a hunting accident.
The main objective of the 10-hour hunter ed course is to develop hunters who handle firearms safely, respect landowners and private property, obey the law and recognize the importance of hunting and the role it plays in managing wildlife.
Topics covered in the class include how firearms operate, hunting traditions and ethics and safe hunting practices. Also addressed are hunting issues such as the destruction of wildlife habitat, the role of hunting in wildlife management and growing anti-hunting attitudes. Participants must pass a written test to successfully complete the course. Staton says everyone who hunts can benefit from hunter education.
"I've taught many hunter ed classes and attended classes with each of my sons," said Staton. "In every class I've learned something new or been reminded of important issues. Hunter ed should be viewed as part of a lifelong learning process. Learning about common causes of accidents and practicing safe firearm handling techniques are the keys to preventing accidents."
Hunter ed courses are open to people 11-years old and older. Information on class dates, times and locations is available on the Conservation Department website www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/heclass-search.html or by calling the nearest conservation office.
Missourians who would like to share their knowledge of hunting are encouraged to become volunteer hunter education instructors. Instructor training is free. For details about the training or to sign up to become a volunteer, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/volunteer/ or call (573) 751-4115.
-Arleasha Mays-
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| Consistence and cleanliness are the keys to attracting hummingbirds to artificial nectar feeders, according to John Hillman of Cape Fair, Mo. He recommends cleaning and refilling feeders every other day to ensure a fresh supply of hummingbirds' sugary mainstay - one part plain white sugar and four parts of water. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Participants get to enjoy golden autumn weather on the Katy Trail while doing their part to help endangered plants and animals.
JEFFERSON CITY-The seventh annual Endangered Species Walk/Run is set for Oct. 7, when 500 people are expected to trek the Katy Trail in support of Missouri's endangered plants and animals.
The event raises funds to help restore habitat, conduct research and support education projects. Participants can choose from three race options: a 5K walk, a 5K run, and a 10K run. All three races start at the Jefferson City Pavilion north of the Missouri River.
Early registration costs $20. After Sept. 20 the fee is $25. Registration includes a long-sleeved T-shirt with artwork created for the occasion by Conservation Department Artist Mark Raithel. Non-participants can purchase T-shirts for $25, and they will be mailed. To register or order a T-shirt, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/programs/es_walkrun/.
This year's event has two new features-a button contest and youth team registration. Anyone age 18 and under can enter the button contest by submitting artwork featuring a glade species or glade habitat. Each entry will be made into a 3-inch diameter pin button, and race participants will vote to choose the top three buttons. Winners will receive special prizes. All button pins will be mailed to their creators after the race.
The addition of youth team registration allows students to enter at a reduced rate of $10 per team. This includes a team photo. Endangered Species Walk/Run T-shirts are available to team members for $15 each.
The deadline for button contest entries and team registration is Oct. 2.
The 5K and 10K route is mostly on the scenic Katy Trail, so it is flat and fast. The 5K walk route goes to the Carl R. Noren Access on the Missouri River and back. Awards are given for the three fastest times for men's and women's divisions in five-year age classes.
This year's theme focuses on glade species and habitat. Glades are open areas where bedrock is exposed within forests, woodlands and prairies. Because they are dry and have little soil, glades are home to many drought-adapted species. Some, such as collared lizards, roadrunners, scorpions and tarantulas, are more commonly associated with deserts.
Glades also are home to many unique plant species. These include Missouri bladderpod and the miniscule geocarpon - both federally listed as threatened.
Money raised at past Endangered Species Walk/Runs have been used to study rare wetland birds and cave fish and to develop techniques for propagating pallid sturgeon, Topeka shiners and rare freshwater mussels for reintroduction efforts. In other years, the money has been used to create educational materials about the decline of Indiana bats and Ozark hellbenders.
The event is co-hosted by the Missouri departments of Conservation and Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department. Other sponsors include AmerenUE, the St. Louis Zoo, Wal-Mart and local businesses and civic groups.
-Jim Low-
Understanding this seasonal phenomenon can help anglers catch more fish.
JEFFERSON CITY-Every baker knows what a turnover is. No basketball player is confused about what has happened when there is a turnover on the court. But ask a recreational angler what "fall turnover" or "lake turnover" means, you are likely to get a muddled response. Chances are that any angler who can accurately define the term will catch more fish in September and October than those who can't.
For fishing purposes, "turnover" means the exchange of surface and bottom water in a lake or pond. This mixing happens twice a year. Differences between the two periods contributes to anglers' confusion about the process.
During the summer, the sun heats water near the surface of lakes. Because warm water is lighter than cool water, it remains at the top of the lake while cool water sinks to the bottom. Summer weather tends to be calm, and without wind to mix top and bottom water, the layering grows increasingly pronounced. Eventually a condition known as "stratification" develops, with a well-defined warm layer of water riding over a cool one.
Oxygen-producing plants live near the surface, leaving water near the bottom of the lake cool but oxygen-poor. The decay of plants and animals that fall to the bottom of lakes accentuates this condition.
Fish prefer cool water, but they need oxygen to survive. Consequently, they tend to stay near the "thermocline," as the border between warm, oxygen-rich surface water and cool, oxygen-poor bottom water is known. Anglers who recognize this concentrate their efforts near the thermocline. Some fish may hang suspended near the thermocline above deep water at this time, but some of the best fishing spots are where sloping banks or underwater humps intersect the boundary between cold and warm water.
This can actually improve fishing success, as fish are easier to locate. However, anglers will have less success fishing on the bottom or near the top than they did before stratification set in.
With the arrival of fall and cooler air temperatures, water at the surface of lakes cools, becoming almost as dense as bottom water. Strong autumn winds move surface water around, which promotes mixing with deeper water. This is "fall turnover."
As mixing continues, lake water becomes more uniform in temperature and oxygen level, allowing fish to move around freely. They can be difficult to find as long as these conditions prevail. This continues until the weather turns cold, chilling the lake's surface.
Water is a strange substance in some ways. One is the fact that it grows denser as its temperature decreases, but only until it reaches 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Past that point, it actually grows less dense. By the time it forms crystals at 32 degrees, it is considerably lighter than liquid water. That explains why ice cubes float in a glass of water.
This oddity causes 39-degree surface water to sink to the bottom of lakes as winter deepens, forcing colder, less-dense water to the top, where it freezes. Ice-over prevents winter winds from stirring the water, and a mild winter stratification develops, with the densest water sinking to the bottom.
With the spring thaw, strong winds again are free to move water around, and a spring turnover occurs. Once again, temperature and oxygen levels are more nearly equal throughout the lake, and fish locations are less predictable. Gradual warming as spring passes into summer brings on stratification - and more predictable fish location.
For a brochure on this subject, write to MDC, "Pond Turnover," P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180 or e-mail pubstaff@mdc.mo.gov.
-Jim Low-
Check the national web site for details of events in your area.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-Americans who love the outdoors will have an opportunity to celebrate the joys of hunting and fishing at National Hunting and Fishing Day events later this month. The Wonders of Wildlife (WOW) Museum in Springfield is in charge of arrangements for the 35th National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD) celebration.
NHFD celebrates hunters' and anglers' role in founding and sustaining America's conservation movement for more than 100 years. The WOW Museum coordinates organization of dozens of NHFD events nationwide and publishes details of each at www.nhfday.org/html/eventcalendar.htm.
Missouri will have NHFD events at the following locations.
WONDERS OF WILDLIFE, SPRINGFIELD, will host an event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 23 with demonstrations and activities including retriever demonstrations, a visit from Ranger Rick from the National Wildlife Federation, tryouts to host your own Outdoor Channel fishing show, a casting contest, fishing with the Missouri Trout Fisherman Association and shooting on the Daisy mobile air-gun range. Participating organizations include the Missouri Department of Conservation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, Quail Unlimited, Big Brothers Big Sisters, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, Leadership Ranch, and Neosho Fish Hatchery. Check the NHFD Web site for updates on activities. Kids have the opportunity to earn discounted tickets to Wonders of Wildlife by completing a NHF Day Adventure Passport. For more information, contact Denise Wagner, (203) 241-4468, nhfday@wondersofwildlife.org or call Laura Edwards or Stephanie Snipes (417) 887-7334.
BASS PRO SHOPS OUTDOOR WORLD, COLUMBIA, hosts a celebration from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sept. 23. Program offerings include a seminar from 2 to 4 p.m. by Conservation Department wetland area managers about waterfowl hunting opportunities on public areas in central Missouri. Youths will be able to take pa rt in a photography workshop and contest that starts at 11 a.m. Also at 11 a.m. is a duck-calling seminar presented by the Missouri Waterfowl Association. Ducks Unlimited will offer seminars from 4 to 5 p.m. Bass Pro Shops staff will help youngsters fish at a lake on-site all day using equipment provided as part of the event. Call (573) 886-7100, for more information.
BASS PRO SHOPS OUTDOOR WORLD, ST. CHARLES, will have free activities Sept. 23, including a fly-casting class at 9 a.m., archery instruction at 10 a.m., a baitcasting class at 11 a.m., an outdoor cooking class from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., firearms safety training at 1 p.m., a waterfowl calling workshop at 2:30 p.m., fly tying instruction at 3 p.m., hand-held global positioning system training at 4 p.m., a turkey calling class at 5 p.m. and a jig tying class at 6 p.m. Contact Andrea Walters, (636) 688-2500, alwalters@basspro.com, for more information.
THE MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION'S KANSAS CITY METRO OFFICE, 3424 NW Duncan Road, Blue Springs, will host a celebration from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Sept. 23. Features will include free drawings and give-aways, 4-H shooting sports, fly-tying demonstrations, hunting-dog training demonstrations, kids fishing with prizes and coached shooting at air gun, archery shooting and trap ranges. Demonstrations and exhibits will include wildlife art, fur trapping, muzzle-loading firearms, cowboy action shooting, Quail Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, the U.S. Sportsman's Alliance, Pheasants Forever, the Missouri Waterfowl Association, the Show-Me Honkers and the National Wild Turkey Federation. For more information, call (816) 655-6250, ext. 247, or (816) 622-0900.
-Jim Low-
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| Missouri's early Canada goose hunting season will be simpler this year, running from Sept. 30 through Oct. 9 statewide. The bag limits of three birds daily and six in possession also apply everywhere in Missouri. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Autumn is a time for heightened awareness of two potentially devastating insects.
JEFFERSON CITY-State officials urge Missourians to be on the lookout for two forest pests that have the potential to devastate the state's rural and urban forests. Both pests - the emerald ash borer (EAB) and the gypsy moth - are insects. The two are very different, however.
The EAB (Agrilus planipennis) is a metallic-green, bullet-shaped beetle that grows up to a half-inch long. Its larvae live beneath the bark of green ash and white ash trees, eating the tender inner bark that carries water and nutrients throughout the tree. This kills trees. No ash trees have been found to be resistant to the EAB, so the pest could virtually eliminate ash trees from North America, as the chestnut blight killed most chestnut trees early in the 20th century.
This is especially bad news for cities where ash trees have been planted as shade trees for decades. The potential cost of removing and replacing tens of thousands of trees in communities around the state is mind-boggling.
The EAB is not native to the United States. It was discovered near Detroit in 2002. Experts say it probably hitched a ride there in wooden packing material from Asia. The pest has decimated ash tree populations in southern Michigan. From this base, it has spread to Illinois, Indiana, Maryland and Ohio.
The gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) also is an imported pest. It has been in the United States since the 19th century, when it was brought here in an attempt to develop a new strain of silk worm. The species escaped and has been wreaking havoc on North American forests ever since.
Unlike the EAB, the gypsy moth has more general tastes. Its caterpillars eat the leaves of a variety of trees, but it is especially fond of oaks, which make up a huge portion of the trees in Missouri forests. Severe infestations of the voracious caterpillars can defoliate large tracts of forest. The possible effects on fish, wildlife and nature-based tourism are as daunting as those of the EAB.
Bruce Moltzan, a resource scientist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, said citizens must play a critical role in preventing either pest from gaining a foothold in Missouri.
"The main way that emerald ash borers get introduced into new areas is through firewood or nursery stock," said Moltzan. "Nursery owners and agriculture officials already are alert to the threat. In addition, we need people to be very cautious about firewood."
Moltzan said the best way to ensure that you don't bring EABs into Missouri is not to bring firewood home from other states. Out-of-state travelers should leave firewood behind. If you accidentally bring firewood into Missouri, burn it immediately.
Some other beetles found in Missouri are metallic green, and ash trees can suffer from many other conditions that cause them to die. However, EAB larvae leave certain unique signs. They create S-shaped trails under the bark, and they leave D-shaped holes up to three-sixteenths inch in diameter when they tunnel out through the bark. Other wood-boring insects leave oval or round holes of various sizes. For more information about EAB, visit www.emeraldashborer.info/.
Firewood can be a vehicle for spreading gypsy moths, too. However, any object that spends time in an area with gypsy moths can turn into a carrier. That is because the moths lay their eggs on any solid surface. Camping equipment and travel trailers are common carriers.
Gypsy moth egg masses can be hard to spot. They are flat, velvety, brown masses three-quarters to 1.5 inches across.
States with known gypsy moth infestations include Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and most states in the northeastern United States. Travelers returning from these areas should inspect all items that have been outdoors for gypsy moth eggs. Any egg masses that are found should be scraped off before returning to Missouri.
Missourians who find signs of EABs or gypsy moths should contact the nearest Conservation Department office.
-Jim Low-
Re-enactors will pass through Missouri on their way to St Charles, just as the Corps of Discovery did 200 Septembers ago.
JEFFERSON CITY-For the men and woman in the Corps of Discovery, the 28-month expedition sometimes seemed endless. But end it did, and two centuries later Missourians are about to celebrate the end of the Lewis and Clark bicentennial with a flurry of September events.
The party of hardy explorers reentered what today are Missouri waters early on Sept. 9, 1806. Eager to complete their epic journey, they plied their oars with a will, averaging more than 45 miles a day and arriving in St. Charles on Sept. 21.
Missouri will celebrate the end of the Lewis and Clark bicentennial with several events. Several of these will involve replicas of the expedition's keelboat, pirogue and dugout canoes. Events scheduled to date include:
* Sept. 11 - A reading and program based on Corps of Discovery journal entries at the Nodaway Island River Access. Call (816) 232-8472 for details.
* Sept. 12 - A reading and program based on Corps of Discovery journal entries at Riverfront Park, St. Joseph. Call (816) 232-8472 for details.
* Sept. 13 - A reading and program based on Corps of Discovery journal entries at Jentell Brees Conservation Area. Call (816) 421-4783 for details.
* Sept. 15 - Re-enactors with the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles will arrive by pirogue and dugout canoe at Kaw Point State Historic Site, Kansas City, Kan., and present a public program. Call (913) 677-7752 for details.
* Sept. 15 - A reading and program based on Corps of Discovery journal entries at Fort Osage National Historic Monument, Sibley, Mo. Call (816) 229-6211 for details.
* Sept. 15 - A reading and program based on Corps of Discovery journal entries and re-enactment of historic events at Kansas City's Case Park. Call (816) 421-4783 for details.
* Sept. 15 - A reading and program based on Corps of Discovery journal entries at the Missouri State Capitol, dedication of a bronze monument and living history program, artists, musicians children's games and period dancing. Call (573) 636-6546 for details.
* Sept. 16 - Re-enactors will launch dugout canoes from Kaw Point Historic Park, land at the River Market in Kansas City, Mo., and present living-history programs. Call (913) 677-7752 for details.
* Sept. 16 - Preview of Van Meter State Park's new cultural center with opening ceremonies including a Missouria-Otoe drumming group and American Indian dignitaries. Call (660) 886-7537 for details.
* Sept. 16 & 17, Grand Return Rendezvous at the Washington, Mo., Riverfront, encampment, education, cotillion and Osage dancers. Call (636) 390-8257 for details.
* Sept. 17 - Parade, Corps of Discovery re-enactors and period encampment in Brunswick, Mo., and present living-history programs. Call (660) 548-3251 for details.
* Sept. 18-23 - Period encampment and educational programs, plus welcome of Corps of Discovery re-enactors returning to Riverfront Park, St. Charles, Mo. Call (636) 947-3199 for details.
* Sept. 20, final meeting of the Missouri Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission, 10:30 a.m., at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, St. Louis. Call (573) 751-8361 for details.
* Sept. 20-24 - Final national Lewis & Clark bicentennial signature event on the Mississippi Riverfront in St. Louis. Numerous public events. Call (314) 454-5753 for details.
* Sept. 22-24 - Commemoration of the Corps of Discovery's return to Belle Fontaine, where it camped for the final night of the expedition. Call (314) 544-5714 for details.
For more information about events culminating the bicentennial celebration, visit www.lewisandclark.mo.gov.
-Jim Low-
JEFFERSON CITY-The Missouri Conservation Commission will hold its next meeting Sept. 28 and 29 in Branson.
The Commission will meet in closed session Sept. 28 at the Bradford Inn. It will meet in open session Sept. 29 at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Dewey Short Visitor Center, 4600 State Highway 165, Branson.
Commission meetings are open to the public. Items to be placed on the agenda for presentations or other business should be sent in writing to Director, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, fax (573) 751-4467, at least 10 working days before the meeting date. The deadline for the next meeting is Sept. 14.
People requiring special services or accommodations to attend Conservation Commission meetings can make arrangements by writing to the same address, or by phone at (573) 751-4115.
Commissioners are: Stephen Bradford, Cape Girardeau, chairman; William F. "Chip" McGeehan, Marshfield, vice-chairman; Cynthia Metcalfe, St. Louis, secretary; Lowell Mohler, Jefferson City, member.
-Jim Low-
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